LONG BEACH -- The director of a state-run mental hospital has been arrested on 35 felony charges for allegedly molesting his foster child for more than a decade when he and the boy lived in Long Beach.

Claude Edward Foulk, 62, the executive director of Napa State Hospital, was arrested at work Wednesday by Long Beach police, according to Deputy District Attorney Lesley Klein.

Prosecutors say there were numerous other victims but the statute of limitations prevents them from pursuing cases before 1988.

Foulk is charged with 22 counts of forcible oral copulation, 11 counts of sodomy by use of force and two counts of forcible lewd act on a child, according to the criminal complaint.

Foulk, who was appointed head of the hospital by the director of the state department of mental health in March 2007, is accused of sexually molesting the boy shortly after taking him in at age 10 in the fall of 1992, authorities said.

The alleged crimes continued through 2003 after he and the youth moved to Walnut, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Klein said Foulk allegedly molested others, but those cases are too old to be prosecuted.

In September, Long Beach police with the department's Sex Crimes Detail began investigating the case "involving five victims known to the suspect."

Police were alerted last year when an alleged victim -- now in his 40s -- found out Foulk was running the mental hospital, where criminals labeled "sexually violent predators" are treated, authorities said.

If convicted as charged, Foulk faces more than 280 years in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Police said they believe Foulk may have sexually molested other people.

Anyone with more information was asked to call police at (562) 570-7368.